Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-26
CALIFORNIA LETTER,
An Interesting sketch OF Orchards, Vine
ward, and Ean,Nes.
SANTA ANA. Cal. March IS. lSs7.

liltl Stllilt W NbNl iithilN AtG'tlN ihtIilA vi
JOY letter from this >un-kiSSed land, Al
effort will be made to embody herein some
thing of interest to all your readers.
Within the past month pretty thorough
survey Of large portion of the Santa AM
valley, aS well As haSty trip To San Diego
has enabled the writer to speak more com
prehcnSively OF these portions of Southern
California than formerly.
In company with a friend living nea
Springfield. and a gentleman residing here
the writer rode over great portion OF th'
denSely populated portions Of this valley
. and across one OF two of the large unim
proved ranches in this valley recently.
The first ride was through the orang,
belt. in and around TuStin City. two miles
east of Santa Ana. with which 1t is connect.
ed by street ear. As this j.
the orange gathering season. the
orange sections are the most attractive
portions of the valley. Ii is amusing Ia
see the eagerness with which eastern peo-
pie inquire, As they ride around over the
country. whether such and such land il
good for orange culture. Almost all late
arrivals are anxious 10 buy orange land
while last fall. hen the grapes Were ripe
and the oranges green. the prevailing in
I quiry was, lis that grape land""
| Several very fine orange orchards were
visited the first day We We're out. The pro
| prietor of on. orchard. which covers several
! acres. assured us that hr had neither pruned
nor irrigated his orchard for several Years
and but a few days before We visited him
he disposed of his entire orange crop for
this year at 5000 per acre. on the trees.
While driving through another orchard. our
attention was attracted to a cluster of
oranges growing on one branch. | pom
counting. We found f0rty-two oranges
thereon We secured three oranges on one
branch that weighed three pounds. the
largest being a inches in circumference
We also visited some lemon and lime groves
that were heavily laden with fine -pecies
of their respective fruits. That your read
ers may come Ia their own conclusions As 10
the quality of oranges raised in this valley,
as compared to those raised in other parts
of Southern California. We append the fuI-
lowing slip of telegraph news. from Chica-
60 giving the prices quoted there yesterday.
March l.. The Naval is considered the
finest variety of orange raised in the state
The ORANGE MARkET.
CHICAGo. March l7.-AIthOugh the rf.-
ceiptS OF oranges from California have in
creased somewhat this week. the market
has ruled steady, with no apparent advance !
in price. Choice oranges are IN fair de-
mand and rule steady, while common stock !
is easy. with no demand to speak of. Re- |
ceiptS from Florida Of oranges continue Ia |
diminish. while cOnSide able quantities are
received from points in Mexico and other !
places. California fTmC i quoted As fol |
lows: Navel oranges, according Ia quality. |
- - 10 81; Bright Riverside, Sl.55 10 |
$50: Santa Ana So To S3.2j: Los An |
geles, 50 - TO 81.
Our next drive was across one of the |
largest Mexican grants in the valley--the
san Joaquine ranch-contaning l0i O00 |
acres. Armed with guns and an abundance
of ammunition, We started about $ o'clock |
in the morning with double seated, two
horse rig, and travelled in a southeaSterly |
direction after passing through TuStin City,
which is at the edge of the above ranch.
The first four To six miles OF said ranch IS
of damp lands. or lands upon
which arte-ian water can be easily obtained.
and which are sufficiently moist throughout
the year 10 produce agricultural products.
and most fruits. without irrigation. This
ranch is owned by the heirs of James Ir-
N San Francisco. Efforts are being made
10 place this ranch upon the market. ami
when accomplished. some of the most valu-
able land in the valley will be offered at
reasonable rates. After
leaving the damp lands. which were nhab-
ted by herds of cattle and sheep. We
reached more elevated plane, upon which
rabbits and guails in abundance. infested
he cactus and sage brush clumps that were
.Ound in abundance. SO tame and plenti-
ful were both rabbit and quail. that We
were enabled Ia sit in the carriage and shoot
'lther. An occasional lake was found
which was usually well supplied with wild
iuckS and mud-henS. BY noon. We had
cached the AlisoS creek, and near the foot
# Mt. Santa Ana. whose SNOW
'apped summit was over 4. 600 feet above us.
IT the last named place Is one of the finest
.atural locations for a town in the valley.
[he AtchisOn. Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
Dad is graded past this location and the I
company has promise that a depot shall be-
coated at that point. Should an abundance ,
# water he developed there as soon a. the
abroad Is completed this will be one of the .
most attractive points as well a one "f the
most valuable agricultural regions on the ,
Dad between here and San Diego. In this {
ection large bee ranches are found from {
which hundreds of tons of honey are shipped |
ach year. One Boston firm gets the great
r portion of its supply Of honey from this
ection for the manufacture of cough
medicine which has worldwide reputa- {
ion.
After dinner we turned our faces toward
he Pacific and amused ourselves shooting
,ame. of which We had our carriage full
vening. Our drive was down the Alisus {
anyOn. one of the most delightful of drives I
IS far a. picturesque scenery is concerned |
iruund squirrels and sheep herders watch l
ny their herds, usually assisted by one or l
more shepherd dogs. are about the only 4
ignS of life met until within a short dis {
ance from the mouth of the canyon. where /
I widenS considerably and where resides an '
Id Californian in a small One-Story house. :
inhabited by himself. wife and about l
dozen children. Near by were the I
arCaS>eS Of a number Of wildcats. coyotes, I
'tc., which his faithful gun had laid low. I
here We saw some of the finest olive and
Tult trees and the largest vines seen in
Calitorna and tasted some choice apples,
md were offered some fine wine. \ short
iriye brought Us 10 the ocean along the ,
beach of which We drove until we reached
new summer resort that Is being opened
Ip. called Arch Beach. A fair-sized hotel {
: being erected here and water from the
mountain near by is being piped 10 each lot |
n the new resort. A drive of another i
nile brought us TO Laguna where We {
,pent the night. After gathering shells.
i>hing. etc. the next forenoon We retraced
'ur steps Santa Ana-ward, reaching this
rlace with more comprehensive view of .
he extent of available agricultural and
territory in this valley than We
omerly have had.